Friday, October 12, 2012

I am writing this from the 4th floor, in the quiet of a regular hospital room, full of the peace of God. After three days, Bob got moved out of ICU Sunday afternoon. He is doing so much better now. We are all amazed at the way he has pulled through, and give all the glory to God continuously.

I have lost track of time with everything that has gone on, and the flurry of activity of nurses, doctors and specialists in and out. So now I need to update all of you wonderful praying friends. Mary, Esther, Ruthie, Elijah and John all returned home yesterday. We are all so grateful that they were able to come and that we had this time together.

The doctor says that Bob's liver, heart, kidneys, and blood count looks good. His blood pressure is up also. Now we can concentrate on his recovery from his 2 major surgeries.

The initial 3 days of recuperation has stretched to a couple weeks, and in a week or so we are expecting to be able to return home to Naknek. We don't want to rush this part, as there only a clinic in Naknek. I am so grateful to the Lord for bringing us through this crisis and giving Bob back to us. The doctor has ordered a month of recuperation at home, and God has already provided Stan & Chris Swan from Oklahoma to fill in for him at KAKN. Thank you so much for all of your prayers!

A verse that the Lord gave me through friends who came to pray with me that first eventful night on Thursday, is, "Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God; believe also in me.". John 14:1. Jesus is my refuge, an ever-present help in trouble, and I praise His holy name.

Sunday, October 07, 2012

We are so excited to let you know the great news! Bob's recovery has been amazing.

They gave him a sedation vacation in the morning yesterday to see if he was going to be able to wake up enough to follow directions. He woke up and was able to leave the ventilator and feeding tube alone so they decreased his sedation slowly throughout the day until he was off of it completely. He kept moving his fingers and feet until we finally realized that he was trying to write. After getting him a pen and some paper he started writing notes to us! The nurse said that he had never seen anyone come out of sedation and start writing like that in his 11 years of nursing!

The first thing he wrote was "I am not sleeping, should I be?" After that he indicated that he was cold and his pain level was high. They gave him some blankets and pain medications and he got all settled. We are continuously amazed at the progress that he has made. Later, in the afternoon they came in and took the breathing tube out. He was able to breathe completely on his own. Once the tube was out he began to talk, a little at a time. By evening the feeding tube came out as well as most of the lines that he had in. He had some water and then got some applesauce.

He is in full form, begging every medical professional that comes in for either biscuits and gravy, pie or pancakes. He is cracking jokes left and right.

We are so blessed by all of your prayers, messages, and calls. Everyone has been amazed at how much progress he has made. The nurse told us that he is no longer critical, he is stable. He was sitting on the bed and is about to get up for the first time. PRAISE GOD!! He is so good!

Friday, October 05, 2012

Many have already heard, but for those who haven't, I would like to give you an update on Bob.

Bob was readmitted to the hospital on Tuesday with a planned surgery on Thurs to remove a polyp. After his first surgery, he was still in a lot of pain. Thurs afternoon surgery went well and the polyp was removed. Following surgery he coded. He stopped breathing. It was undetermined the reason for that: a pulmonary emboli, or heart attack were question marks as they have been doing further tests. I just spoke to a Dr. and she believes that his heart is OK, and that this was actually a respiratory attack, not a heart attack. He had a CT scan of the head which showed no acute bleed. He had a chest X-ray which shows fluid in the lungs. He was taken to ICU and put on a ventilator and is being heavily sedated and monitored closely.

Sometime in the next 24-48 hours there will be another CT of the head to determine if there was a lack of oxygen during the code. His vital signs are stable now, but he’s not out of the woods yet.

Esther, Ruthie and Elijah, and John have arrived, and Mary is on her way.

Thank you for praying, dear friends. We have confidence that Bob is in God's hands and are trusting His promises.

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

A funny thing happened on the way to the airport to catch our plane back to Bristol Bay. We popped in for a quick post-op appointment with my surgeon who called for the golf cart and had me driven to admitting. I had one night of freedom. We had to quickly change our flight, extend our rental car agreement, notify our family and Margaret's principal, all-the-while keeping a pillow firmly pressed against one of the six incisions.

We don't know exactly what happened but it sounded like the wrong area got tattooed during the colonoscopy and the lab said the polyp was not removed so they are going in again with open surgery at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Thank you for your prayers. Surgery was a great success. I evidently had experienced a gall bladder attack and not recognized it and they were able to remove a smaller section of the colon than originally thought.

Margaret took a picture of me and the article I picked up in the waiting room which I read while waiting for them to take me into the operating room. Too funny.

This morning we woke to large flakes of snow bringing the first snowfall of the season!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

We're enjoying our ministry and life in Alaska...me at the radio station and Margaret teaching first grade. It seems unbelievable that we are about to start our third winter here. Although I am in Anchorage today, the weather forecast for Naknek is snow showers.

Margaret is doing well, though very busy until mid-October with the beginning of school and finishing assignments for two graduate classes. We enjoy having Esther with us. She has just started teaching the preschool class across the hall from Margaret while still working for the airline.

Margaret healed nicely from her two surgeries last year. It's my turn now. Friday at 11:30 a.m. (Alaska Time) I am to have my gall bladder removed and a partial colectomy. Every five years since my brother died of colon cancer I have been tested and this time they decided to do surgery. We are thankful that the lab results did not reveal any cancer. Margaret is flying in from our home in bush Alaska tonight and will remain with me until we return home on Tuesday. I thought I should bring a microphone and give a live report from the table on KAKN-FM. The doctor didn't agree. It was quite a surprise to find that the hospital director's wife was Margaret's dad's confirmation student some fifty years ago. Small world.

We enjoyed our time last summer with our children and grandchildren, and yes, our newest grandson, in Dallas. Ruthie, Josh and Elijah are on their partnership development tour with Lutheran Bible Translators. They are visiting my late-brother's family in Fresno today.

While we were away this summer a couple of teams travelled to Naknek and built a garage for us. What a difference that garage will make for us this winter. Another couple will arrive in a few days to wire it and a new transmitter we just received.

We appreciate you emails, your support of us as missionaries to Alaska, but especially for your prayers.

Would you also take a moment right now to pray for Wayne and Karen Floan (they both work on our AFLC campus, and are dear friends to all that know them) Wayne has been diagnosed with CML leukemia. He will have a bone marrow test tomorrow. Thank you for upholding Wayne and Karen and their family in prayer.